Letter - Sunday Business Post - 18 March 2007
State should run waste policy

Susan Mitchell’s article on hazardous waste
costs (SBP 11/3/07) allowed John Ahern of Indaver to claim hazardous
waste would cost as little as €10 a tonne if it was managed locally,
but typically costs about €100 a tonne, due to the transport
costs involved.

This only underpins the unsustainability of the
industry of incineration. Lobbying costs a lot of money, and I am
sure the costs incurred must seem worth it to Indaver, to be allowed
to have a monopoly tolling toxic waste industry in the south of Ireland,
and another tolling waste industry in Meath.

What has not been included in the equation is
the cost of C02 emissions.

Kyoto credits were running at €17 per tonne
last year. The excess CO2 tonnage emitted by Meath, Dublin and Cork,
and their future costs, have to be scrutinised, as must the cost of
the disposal, transport and treatment of bottom ash, be it exported
or land filled.